Intralase Chicago

Intralase

The IntraLase® Method for a Blade-Free LASIK Experience

We know the decision to have LASIK surgery is a big one, so we take great care to determine what’s best for you as our patient. That’s why we offer blade-free LASIK treatment using the IntraLase method.

The patients of Larson Eye Center can now elect for vision correction surgery with more confidence than ever before. Blade-free IntraLASIK using the IntraLase Method offers incomparable safety and optimal precision with the only fully automated and laser-controlled laser vision correction procedure. If you are seeking LASIK in Chicago now is a great time to call us for an explanation of the technology.

What's the difference? Traditional LASIK involves manually creating a corneal flap the doctor will gently fold back so that the LASIK procedure will be performed. A microkeratome, a hand-held oscillating blade is what doctors normally used to create the flap.

With the IntraLase method, pulses of laser light create your corneal flap, which is then lifted so the next step of LASIK—the reshaping of your cornea—can be performed. When your LASIK treatment is over, the flap is securely repositioned into place. This bladeless, computer-guided technology is 100% more accurate than most of the mechanical microkeratomes (hand-held devices with a thin metal blade) that surgeons may also use to create a corneal flap.

How the IntraLase Method Works

Unlike mechanical instruments, IntraLase technology is uniquely able to program the dimensions of your flap based on what’s best for your eye. Then the IntraLase laser creates your flap from below the surface of the cornea—without ever cutting it. How?

Ultra–fast pulses of laser light position microscopic bubbles at a precise depth determined by your doctor.
The laser light passes harmlessly through your cornea. Then the laser creates rows of these bubbles just beneath your corneal surface as it moves back and forth across your eye in a uniform plane.
Next, the IntraLase laser stacks bubbles around your corneal diameter to create the edges of your flap. These bubbles are stacked at an angle that is determined by your doctor and is individualized to the way your eye is shaped.
The process takes only about 30 seconds from start to finish— it’s quiet and it’s comfortable.
Your doctor then gently lifts the flap to allow for the second step of your LASIK treatment. When treatment is complete, the flap easily “locks” back into position and rapidly begins to heal.

IntraLase Method Benefits:

According to FDA clinical trials and The Intralase website, patients can actually acquire Better Vision. More patients in clinical trials achieved vision that was 20/20 or better than when the original LASIK procedure was performed during its clinical trials (***1. At the time of the original LASIK FDA trials surgeons were still getting accustomed to the surgery, 2. At the time of the original LASIK FDA trials surgeons did not have access to wavefront technology or methods of treating high order aberrations.

According the Intralase Facts website patients report better quality of vision, particularly in terms of their ability to see well in low light such as at dusk or at night.

Intralase grants surgeons the ability to tailor the procedure to your eye. The IntraLase Method actually gives your doctor the ability to tailor the dimensions of your corneal flap based on what’s best for your eye. Everything from the diameter of your flap to the angle of its edges can be precisely determined. This is important because everyone’s eyes are shaped a little differently. Having a corneal flap that’s individualized to the patient contributes to excellent postoperative outcomes. In addition, a corneal flap created with the IntraLase Method also “locks” back into position after the LASIK procedure is performed.

Because of the superior accuracy of the IntraLase method, certain patients who were ineligible for LASIK may now be able to have treatment. Ask your doctor today if you are a candidate. If you are considering laser eye surgery in Chicago we welcome you to learn about the difference between blade-free lasik and traditional lasik with one of our experienced lasik staff members. Our coordinators will explain the Intralase method and also the traditional lasik method using a microkeratome. Call us today to schedule a FREE consultation to learn about what lasik is and if it might be acceptable for your eyes.